More Than Just a Game for Two
by ThereIsNoPlan
Summary: Alternate Universe fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Here guys, have an AU. Work title from Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E.**

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**Summary:**

**_River Song._**

**What kind of name is that anyway? Opening a drawer in his desk, he shoves the file in and closes it forcefully. He does _not_ need a partner. He works bloody well fine all on his own and he has no plans whatsoever on working with this River Song.**

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The marker squeaks as he furiously writes across the whiteboard. He punctuates the sentence with an unnecessary flourish before stepping back, grinning proudly and pushing up the sleeves of his red and white striped shirt. Scanning the board, he rocks excitedly on the balls of his feet and crosses his arms with a satisfied "humph." Everything fit like pieces of a puzzle falling into place- he had closed this case in less than twenty-four hours.

Hearing heavy footfalls with a slight shuffle approaching behind him is enough to make his smile drop right off. He knows exactly who it is- his captain. Sighing heavily, he closes his eyes and begins to mentally prepare himself for the lecture that will undoubtedly be about working too many hours, which is _ridiculous_, actually. No such thing as working _too many hours_.

The footsteps come to a halt and he turns to face them, his jaw set and bracing himself, but the words that come out of his captain's mouth are_ not_ what he is expecting.

"Found you a partner, Doctor" the captain says matter of factly, plopping a file onto his desk. The Doctor opens and closes his mouth as if not exactly sure of what to say as the captain continues, "Thought you might want to look at her file before she gets here."

"But, _Sir_," the Doctor protests, "I don't _need_ a partner. I work _alone_."

"Not anymore."

He opens his mouth to argue, but is halted by the captain's stern glare. "Go home and get some sleep. She should be here in the morning."

As the captain walks away, the Doctor glares a hole in his back before turning back to his desk. He all but snarls at the file as he picks it up and reads the name.

_River Song._

What kind of name is that anyway? Opening a drawer in his desk, he shoves the file in and closes it forcefully. He does _not_ need a partner. He works bloody well fine all on his own and he has no plans whatsoever on working with this River Song.

XxX

As soon as the elevator doors of the 11th Precinct open to his floor, he immediately spots her. She's all curves and wild hair and _writing on his board_.

"No, no, no, no, _no_," the Doctor cries as he rushes over and snatches the marker from her hand, "That is _my_ board."

Straightening, she places a hand on her hip and arches an eyebrow, "Well hello to you, too, sweetie."

The Doctor sputters, caught off guard just long enough for her to pluck the marker from his hand.

"And it's _our_ board, sweetie."

"I am _not_ your _sweetie_," he grinds out, narrowing his eyes and tugging on the lapels of his jacket. "I'm the Doctor."

If at all possible, her eyebrow arches even higher, "Detective Doctor?"

"No. Just the Doctor."

As she runs her gaze from his face to his feet and back again, as if sizing him up, he can't help but stand a little straighter and narrow his eyes a bit more in hopes of looking intimidating, ignoring the sudden burning at the back of his neck as her eyes travel across his body.

Finally she holds her hand out for him to shake, "River Song."

Batting her hand away, he takes his marker back with a frown. "Well, River Song, I'll have you know that I work _alone_."

Smirking, she picks up a different marker and turns back to the board to return to her writing, "You work with me now, _sweetie_."

XxX

"I cannot _believe_ you didn't tell me sooner," Amy exclaims and the Doctor rolls his eyes.

"You were on your honeymoon if I remember correctly," he grumbles, wishing to change to the subject.

"But this is _important_. She's River bloody Song. She _never_ works with anyone else."

"Yeah? Well maybe she should go back to that," the Doctor retorts, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Oh come on. You can't say you're not just a _little_ interested," Amy says as she bumps his shoulder.

His brow furrows as he looks at her in confusion, "Why would I be interested?"

"She has a story, Doctor, and I _know_ you. You can never resist a good story." When he continues to look at her blankly, she rolls her eyes and huffs, "You really do live under a sodding rock, don't you? River Song. Rumored to be the best of the best down at the 10th Precinct. Never leaves a case cold, always ruthless during questioning, and always hits her target. Not to mention she's fit as hell."

He frowns, "She worked for the 10th? I didn't think there were any survivors."

"_Exactly_," she says, her excitement apparent in her voice. "The _entire_ precinct went up in that explosion and reports said the few that survived the initial impact died in the hospital hours later. So what about River? It's been _three years_ and everyone thought her dead. Then, about a month ago, she popped back up seemingly out of nowhere, and _now_ she's here and working on cases like nothing ever happened."

The Doctor frowns to himself as he remembers back to three years ago. It was a clear warm day, not a cloud in sight, and he was just pulling a suspect of a homicide case into questioning when there was a slight trembling of the building that was immediately followed by a loud, but distant noise that could only be described as the sound of certain death.

After throwing the suspect into the interrogation room and closing the door, he had rushed to the nearest window where everyone else was crowded. In the distance, black smoke was clearly visible and rolling fiercely upward into the blue sky. Crazy theories of arsonists and terrorists were immediately being spun, but it was eventually confirmed as being a gas leak that went unnoticed for too long.

The rest of the day nothing else was talked about, but every time it was mentioned, all he could do was mentally re-watch the smoke as it spread into the air and think of how it would be a _miracle_ if anyone had survived.

When he pulls himself from the memories, he finds Amy watching him with a smug smile. "There. See? _Now_ you're interested."

XxX

He _really_ shouldn't be surprised.

Every morning he walks in to find she's beaten him there and he's greeted with her infuriating smile, as if she comes in early just to irritate him. It really shouldn't bother him, but it does, and today he had _plans_. He had gotten here an entire half hour earlier than normal in hopes of being the first one in. All he wanted was to see her face when those elevator doors opened and she saw that she _wasn't first_. Then _he_ could return that same smirk to her.

And yet there she is, sitting on Jefferson's desk, wearing a charming smile and a distractingly tight pencil skirt. Well, distracting to everyone _except_ him, of course.

He huffs and glares at his watch. _No one_ should be here this early.

Just as he's deciding to spend his extra time going to get some _real_ coffee from across the street, like he normally does every morning, refusing to force down the disgusting stuff in the break room that they have the _nerve_ to call coffee, River's laugh rings out across the room. The Doctor throws his arm out to stop the elevator door from shutting, suddenly unable to do much else than stare at her.

Her laugh is warm and seeps through his bones to settle right in his heart. He finds himself smiling slightly despite himself as she laughs again and hooks one of her rebellious curls behind her ear.

The happy feeling that has suddenly stolen over him disappears as quickly as it had come when he realizes that in the entire two weeks he's worked with her, he hasn't heard her laugh _once_. He's spent all of their time trying to distance himself from her, trying to prove that he doesn't _need_ a partner. Never had he thought that maybe, just _maybe_, this whole partner thing could be something _good_ for him.

Just as he's thinking that he'd like to hear her laugh again, she does, and he watches as she smiles brightly at Jefferson before placing a thin folder in front of him.

What the hell had _Jefferson_ done to deserve that laugh when had had barely even seen her smile? A mixture of anger and sudden possessiveness begins to bubble within him as he watches Jefferson smile winningly at her before placing his hand over hers.

He doesn't know what he's feeling, but he _does_ know that whatever it is, it makes him want to whack Jefferson's stupid grin right off his face.

The next thing he knows, he's stalking over to them with a purpose, deciding that real coffee is something he doesn't need after all.

"What are you doing?" He immediately kicks himself at the harsh tone of his voice and tries to ignore the look of surprise she gives him.

"I was preparing to track down a new lead on this case, but I needed these prints ran and you weren't here, so-"

"So she asked _me._" Jefferson interrupts as he sits a little straighter.

"Well I'm here now." The Doctor says tersely, glaring at Jefferson as he picks up the file.

Jefferson reaches to grab the file, but he holds it closer to his chest, cutting Jefferson off before he has the chance to protest, "_I'll_ run them. _I'm_ her partner."

Jefferson sinks back a little at his tone and he can feel River's eyes on him- he just _knows_ that if he looked at her right now, she'd be looking at him as if he's gone mad. There's that familiar burning at the back of his neck as he walks away with his jaw set and the file clutched tightly in his hand as if it is a prized possession.

As he walks past the break room, a hand reaches out and all but drags him into the room.

"What the bloody hell was that about, Pond?!" The Doctor exclaims as Amy shuts the door, rubbing at his arm and feigning injury.

"What's in the file?" She immediately asks, ignoring his question.

"Um-I-It's nothing," he answers quickly, attempting to hide the file behind his back. When he feels it plucked from his grasp, he spins around to see Rory, Amy's husband and abduction detective, opening it. The Doctor makes a failed attempt to snatch it back, but Rory holds it out of his reach.

"Fingerprints," he tells Amy in a dry tone.

"Ha! I _knew_ it," she says, pointing accusingly at him.

The Doctor huffs and shoves her hand away, "You know nothing, Pond."

Amy shakes her head defiantly, "You _never_ run prints, Doctor."

"Yeah, well-"

She cuts him off before he has the chance to make an excuse, "I _saw_ you. I thought you were gonna off Jefferson right then and there. And all over some bloody _prints_?" She smiles knowingly as she crosses her arms, "You didn't like that _River_ was asking for _his_ help, did you? You were _jealous_."

Jealous?

Oh.

_That's_ what that feeling is.

"I was _not_," he denies hotly.

"Oh you _so_ were. Don't lie to me, Doctor. You're rubbish at it."

He sputters and looks at Rory for help who only shrugs and hands him back the file.

"Now," says Amy as she pushes the Doctor out of the break room, "Go run those prints for your woman."

XxX

"River you _can't_ just do things like that!" The Doctor shouts as they quickly exit the smoked-filled pub, grateful for the sudden fresh air.

"Can I have the keys?" She asks, ignoring his scolding and turning around with her right hand extended out to him and her left on her hip. Fishing in his pocket for the keys, he continues grumbling to himself and trying his very best _not_ to look at her. She _really_ shouldn't be allowed to wear _that_. Everything from her wild curls, to her black dress so tight that it hardly leaves anything to the imagination, to her impossibly high red heels that match the color of her lipstick, is just so very, _very_, distracting.

Just as he hands her the keys he realizes what he's done. "Wait. No. _No_. River give them back!" He makes to grab the keys back, but it's too late. Huffing, he follows after her as she laughs.

"River. It's _my_ car. _Give them back_." Despite his tone, he finds himself smiling because she had _laughed_. Given, it was more laughing _at_ him than anything else, but he decides that it still counts.

"_Our_ car. And besides, I'm a _much_ better driver," she says, throwing him a smile over her shoulder before climbing into the driver's seat. He tugs at the lapels of his jacket proudly, grinning even more as he makes his way to the other side of the car. A laugh _and_ a smile all within the past minute. Maybe he should let her drive more often.

Forcing the grin from his face, he hops into the passenger seat and she's speeding off before he even has the chance to put on his seatbelt.

"Now what were you saying? Something about something I shouldn't do?" River asks, smiling innocently at him.

The Doctor narrows his eyes, "Don't play games with me, River. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. You can't just walk in wearing _that_ and, and, and-"

"_And_?" She asks, eyebrow arched and repressing a smile.

"_And kiss people_!"

"Why not?"

He sputters, looking at her incredulously, "You just _can't_, River."

She looks at him, her eyes shining and a smirk tugging at her lips, "_Jealous_, sweetie?"

"What? No! That's, that's _ridiculous_."

"And anyway, I thought it was a _brilliant_ plan. It gave you enough time to get his prints from his glass, didn't it?"

"Yes," he admits grudgingly.

"Well just think. Now that we have his fingerprints, we have all the evidence we need and he'll be behind bars by morning."

"Not the point," he mumbles.

Okay. Maybe he was just _a little_ jealous.

XxX

He can't sleep.

Their latest case is currently at a dead end, but he _knows_ he must be missing _something_. No DNA at the crime scene, no prints left on the murder weapon, all potential suspects have alibis, and their only witness is an old bat who can barely see two feet in front of her.

The Doctor drags his hand over his face as he hauls himself out of bed, deciding that if he can't sleep, then he might as well go ahead and go in, regardless that it is almost four in the morning.

He smiles slightly- at least he'll beat River in today.

But he's wrong.

Again.

When the elevator dings and the doors slide open with a slight squeak, he's expecting complete darkness except for the security light that shines dimly in one corner of the room at all times, but instead, there is a lamp on at the desk at the far end of the room. _His_ desk.

The Doctor huffs as he looks at his watch. 4:13. How early would he have to get here to beat this woman?

"Why are you in so early, Song?" He calls across the room as he steps out of the elevator.

When the only response he receives is silence, a sudden chill steals over him and his heart rate quickens, "River?"

The soft glow of the lamp suddenly does not seem as welcoming as it had a second ago, the light not nearly as bright as he wishes it would be as the shadows that cast across the majority of the large room play with his mind and trick him into believing they are moving when he _knows_ they're not.

Swallowing, he forces himself to focus ahead as he walks past the other desks. When he finally reaches his, he finds River sitting in his chair with her face down on his desk. For a split second he feels his heart stop as he says her name hesitantly, fear lining his voice as he reaches out to shake her in hopes that she is only sleeping.

As soon as he touches her shoulder, she jerks awake and suddenly there's a gun in his face. He ducks out of reflex, but a moment later she's putting the gun aside as she realizes who he is.

"You scared the _hell_ out of me, River! I thought you were…" He trails off as she chuckles lightly and rubs the sleep from her eyes, "You've been spending far too much time around the dead, sweetie."

"Well that's kind of my job, you know," then adding as an afterthought, "You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

"Not a chance," she replies, smiling softly.

The Doctor frowns suddenly, "Where'd the gun come from?"

River laughs, smirking cheekily, "Wouldn't you _love_ to know?"

Repressing a smile, he hoists himself to sit on top of the desk, "So. Sleeping at the office. _That's_ how you beat me here every morning."

She rolls her eyes, "_No_. I beat you here every morning because you wait in that _ridiculously_ long line at the shop across the street just to buy second-rate coffee that isn't _any_ better than what we have here."

"Oi!" He exclaims, feigning offense, "It is _not_ second-rate, Song! The label even says so. _World's Best Coffee_." The Doctor nods matter of factly, "Not _World's Second-Rate Coffee_. Best. _Best_," he emphasizes and she looks at him skeptically as he continues, "And _that_ in _there_," he gestures wildly toward the break room, "is _not_ coffee. It's, it's, it's _battery acid_."

River snorts and rolls her eyes again, closing the file she had open as he looks down at it. "What's in the file? Is that why you were here so late and fell asleep?" He asks, brow furrowed and mouth set in a frown.

She places the file in a drawer before answering hesitantly, "This is just…is just…" Trailing off, she bites down on her lip before suddenly asking, "Doesn't it bother you that everything about this case has been carried out so flawlessly?"

The Doctor hops off the desk and turns on the lights before standing in front of the whiteboard where everything about the case is written. River moves to stand beside him and leans back against the desk, silently relieved to get the topic off the file.

Scanning his eyes over the board, the Doctor tugs his fingers through his hair with a frustrating sigh, "It really is a dead end. We have _nothing_ to go on and all of the suspects have perfect alibis."

River straightens, "You're right. _Perfect_ alibis." Together they lean forward, squinting at the board as they read and reread the alibis the suspects claim to have before turning to each other and exclaiming at exactly the same time, "They're covering for each other!"

"River Song, I could bloody kiss you!" The Doctor says happily as he picks up the marker to proudly write their newfound lead, which will undoubtedly solve the case, on the board.

"Well, maybe some other time, sweetie," River tosses back cheekily as she resumes leaning back against the desk while he writes.

By the time all three suspects are brought in to be questioned, early morning sunlight is filtering into the precinct and the official work day has begun.

The Doctor enters the observation room as River walks into the interrogation room with one of the suspects, the other two put in temporary holding for probable cause. Crossing his arms, he watches through the one-way mirror as River orders the suspect to sit and begins her procedure for interrogation.

The Doctor can't help but smile as she slowly paces the front of the small room and asks the first of her series of questions. Patience is her key. Letting the suspects do the majority of the talking, she always listens intently and analyzes their answers to turn their own words around to become their inevitable downfall.

"Only observing, Doctor?"

He turns to see Amy entering the observation room with a raised brow as she shuts the door behind her.

"Good morning, Pond."

She waves off his greeting and grins smugly at him, a grin he _knows_ can never mean anything good for him, "Since when do you _ever_ let other people question your suspects?"

The Doctor narrows his eyes at her, "River isn't _other people_. She's my," he hesitates, "my partner."

"What happened to _working alone_?"

Ignoring her question, he sets his jaw and turns his attention back to the interrogation room, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Uh-huh. _Exactly_," Amy says, "You _fancy_ her."

The Doctor looks back at her, his jaw dropping slightly from shock, before protesting, "I do not _fancy_ her!"

"You do. You know what I think? I think she's gonna be your wife one day," Amy says confidently, her smile growing even wider.

"That is _ridiculous_, Pond."

Disregarding his arguments, she continues, "You should invite her to our routine dinner next week. It would be good for you. She could be your _date_."

Just as he's about to refuse, River taps on the mirror and makes the signal that she's wrapped it up, meaning a confession has been given and the suspect can be booked until trial.

"Just ask her," Amy insists.

The Doctor pauses, "Fine. But she's _not_ coming as my date."

XxX

He is out of time.

Two weeks. He had had _two weeks_ to ask her, but every time he tries, his courage fails him. Not to mention she is ever so distracting with her hair and her voice and her smile and her _River-ness_.

And it's not like he's asking her on a date because he's _not_. It's just dinner. Dinner as friends, with friends- no matter what Amy tries to tell him. A dinner that just so happens to be this very evening.

He either asks her today or not at all, and the latter is _not_ an option. He happens to know that Amy is running a bet with Rory that he _won't_ ask River to the dinner. Well. There is no way he's going to let her win _that_.

As the elevator rides to his floor in the precinct, the Doctor bounces nervously on the balls of his feet, two cups of coffee in hand. The doors slide open and he immediately spots River sitting in his chair and pouring over a case file.

"That's my chair, Song," he says once he reaches the desk, announcing his presence.

"_Our_ chair, sweetie," she counters without looking up.

Smiling, he plops into the chair next to the desk before setting one of the coffees on top of the file and directly in her line of vision.

"Coffee?" She asks as she looks up at him with a frown.

The Doctor shakes his head and grins, "Not _just_ coffee."

River picks up the coffee and reads the label.

_World's Best Coffee_.

"Are you serious?" she asks as she rolls her eyes, but he doesn't miss how the corners of her mouth twitch as if she's repressing a smile.

"Never knowingly. Never _knowingly_ be serious, Song. Now try it."

Glaring at him, she lifts the coffee and takes a sip before placing it back on the desk.

"I was wrong. It's not second-rate. It's _third_-rate," she teases, pretending to be uninterested as she turns back to the file.

He sputters, "_What_?"

"It's rubbish."

"You, River Song, are a _liar_!"

Throwing him a smile, she takes another sip of her coffee, "Maybe."

Okay. _Now_ is the time to ask her. He pauses. _Why_ is it so bloody difficult just to ask her to dinner? The worst she can do is say no. But maybe that's the problem. He doesn't _want_ her to say no. Not that he would ever admit it.

"Okay, out with it," River says, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Out with what?"

"You've been trying to ask me something for the past two weeks and I'm tired of not knowing what that something is." She looks at him expectantly, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.

Avoiding looking her in the eye, he fidgets with his the label on his coffee, "See, Amy, Rory and I have dinner together every second and fourth Friday of the month. Just as friends, you know? And I was wondering," he pauses, frowning determinedly at his coffee before looking at her, "I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"

River smiles brightly at him and if there's a slight fluttering in his chest, well, it must just be his imagination. "_That's_ what you wanted to ask me? Amy asked me _ages_ ago."

"She _what_?!"

River nods, looking amused at his surprise as she stands, "But for the record, I'd be more than happy to join you, sweetie."

The Doctor stares after her as she walks off, coffee in hand.

Oh, he is going to _kill_ Amy.

XxX

"Will you _stop_ looking out the window every two seconds?" Amy asks as she and Rory place four plates and the accompanying cutlery on the table.

"I'll stop looking when she gets here, Pond. She was _supposed_ to be here five minutes ago," the Doctor says as he frowns out the window.

"Actually, I'm fairly sure she isn't supposed to _arrive_ for another five," Rory says as he glances at the clock before smiling amusedly at the Doctor.

"Just sit down, Doctor. Your woman will be here any moment," Amy taunts and he turns around to glare at her.

"River is not _my_ woman."

"You want her to be."

At the same moment he opens his mouth to protest, there's a knock at the door and he's rushing to open it.

"Hello, sweetie," River greets with a smile.

"Bout time you bloody got here. I'm dying from starvation," he says with a pout and earning an eye roll from her.

"You know you were only _dying_ to see me," she teases.

The Doctor arches an eyebrow, "Letting your hair down for once, Song?" ignoring her truthful statement and commenting on her attire. In contrast to her pencil skirts and slacks that she wears to work, River is dressed in a pale blue sundress made of thin cotton and her hair is falling in wild curls around her face and brushing her shoulders, instead of pinned back like usual.

"You like it," River says cheekily as she brushes past him and into the kitchen.

Oh he does.

Once the food is on the table, they all sit, River taking the last, always unoccupied, chair beside the Doctor. As they eat, talk and laugh, he can't help but think that River, with her cheeky comments, warm smile, flirtatious edge and filling in the last seat, is like a piece of their puzzle that hasn't been completed until just now.

When none of them can eat anymore, the Doctor all but shoves River and Amy into the living room, insisting that he and Rory do the dishes. River quirks an eyebrow at him as he ushers her into the other room, "I had _no idea_ you were _such_ the gentleman, sweetie. I'm quite surprised."

"Your words wound me, Song," he calls back to her, unable to keep from smiling as he re-enters the kitchen.

"You and River," Rory starts as he places dishes into the sink, his voice low to keep Amy and River from hearing, "I can kind of picture it."

"There is _nothing_ to picture, Pond," the Doctor snaps.

Rory sighs exasperatedly, "That's really _not_ how it works, you know."

"Course it is."

"Oh, so I'll be able to call you Doctor _Song_ sometime in the near future, then?" Rory jabs, though his voice still serious, as he scrubs a plate clean before handing it to the Doctor. Snatching the plate, he glares at Rory before arguing, "_No_. River and I are _not_ going to get married."

"Not like you need to, I suppose. You two already bicker like an old married couple. And River's very," he stops, looking for the right word, "How is it that Amy puts it?" He pauses again for affect, "Oh yeah, she's very _heel boy_ with you."

The Doctor sputters, staring at Rory incredulously, "_None_ of that is true. That is _ridiculous_."

"But you _do_ like her," Rory presses as he hands the Doctor the last plate.

"I've only known her for a month, Pond," he says quietly as he dries the dish.

"I knew I loved Amy the very first day I met her," Rory argues, turning to leave the kitchen before adding one last thing, "And how long do you think River's going to stay available, Doctor? Don't miss this opportunity. You'll regret it."

XxX

The Doctor frowns as he approaches their desk. Nothing is as it should be. There's no file open on the desk, River's jacket isn't draped over the back of the chair, the name of the victim of their next homicide case isn't written on the whiteboard, which he _knows_ is the very first thing she does after she kicks her heels off under the desk, opting to only wear shoes when they leave to inspect a crime scene, track a lead, question a suspect or sadly inform a family that their loved one is dead, but when he peers under the desk, he finds that her shoes aren't there either.

Straightening, he smiles smugly and places the two cups of coffee that's he's gotten in the habit of buying every morning on the desk. He had beaten her there _and_ bought coffee.

Just as he's planning his eye roll worthy comment for when she walks in, something along the lines of _I don't stand in that ridiculous line to buy you coffee so it can just sit here and get cold waiting on you, Song_, Amy walks up to him. "So do you think River will make it to our dinner this evening?"

The Doctor frowns, "Why wouldn't she?" River has joined them for every single dinner after that first one, even switching off and having it at her place, which is when they all found out that she is a bloody _fantastic_ baker. It was funny, really, how at the beginning he had wanted nothing to do with her, but now he couldn't imagine a day of work, a routine dinner, or what he likes to call a family (that just being the four of them) outing without her.

"She called in sick."

His shoulders droop and Amy smiles, "Aww. Whatever are you going to do without your work-wife?"

"Shut it, Pond," the Doctor mumbles.

"Well I guess someone's going to be Mr. Grumpy Face today, then. Why don't we skip dinner tonight, yeah? Then you can go check on the wife and I won't have to put up with your moping."

He glares at Amy as she walks away and sinks into his chair. Maybe he _would_ go visit River later.

A half hour after he gets off work, he finds himself standing at her doorstep and rocking nervously on the heels of his feet as he knocks on the door. His hand is mid-air, ready to knock for the third time when the door eases open and River leans heavily against the frame, her eyebrows rising in surprise, "Hello, sweetie."

"Bloody hell, Song. You look terrible." Though really, even with her hair pulled back messily, her nose red and her voice slightly scratchy, he still finds her incredibly attractive. Not that he would tell her.

"Well you sure know how to charm a girl," River retorts sarcastically as she lets him in and closes the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, not moving away from the door.

"Heard you were sick. Decided to come take care of you." The Doctor grins at her as he lifts a Tesco bag.

She hesitates, but he sees her eyes soften and now it's _his_ turn to roll his eyes, grabbing her by the hand with a, "Come along, Song," and pulling her into her living room. After making her sit on the couch, he begins pulling out everything he bought at the store- six different kinds medicine, tissues, her favorite tea and four different types of soup.

"You bought all of this for me?" River asks quietly and when he looks at her, she's looking at him with that same soft expression. When he nods, she smiles and he thinks that he would do whatever it takes to get her to smile at him like that all the time.

River picks up the box of tea and runs her finger over the label before whispering, "You even got my favorite tea."

"What? No snarky comment, then? You must be _really_ sick," he says as he holds the back of his hand to her forehead and finding her hot with fever.

Batting his hand away, she glares at him, "I hate you."

"There. That's much better," the Doctor says with smile, "And you _don't_ hate me," he adds confidently, popping her gently on the nose as he emphasizes the word. Standing, he takes the box of tea from her and picks up one can of soup, "Stay right here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Stay here? And here I thought I was going to go climb Mount Everest," she grumbles and he chuckles as he goes into the kitchen.

After putting the soup on to cook, he makes a cup of tea and goes back into the living room to find her slumped further in the couch with the box of tissues in her hand. When he hands her the tea she thanks him and sips it contentedly. "You are the best," she says, cradling the cup in her hands.

"Is that an actual _compliment_, Song?" the Doctor asks, feigning shock.

"Shut up," she mumbles.

"Make me," he says, and as he walks back into the kitchen a pillow whacks him in the back of head. Spinning around, he finds her trying to contain her laughter behind her cup of tea and he narrows his eyes as he attempts to repress his smile.

"You are _so_ lucky you're sick," he says threateningly.

"Or _what_, sweetie? What would you do? _Spank me_?"

Suddenly his heart rate doubles as he imagines bending her naked form over the arm of the sofa, her smirking back at him as the palm of his hand runs across her smooth skin, down the bumps of her spine and over the curve of her-

The Doctor clears his throat, that burning feeling creeping along his neck again and along his ears as he tugs at the lapels of his jacket and glares at her, "Aren't you supposed to be sick or something?"

River narrows her eyes at him and as if on cue, she sneezes. Plucking a tissue from the box, she sighs exasperatedly, "I'm _tired_ of being sick."

"Well maybe if you actually took medicine you would get better," he calls to her as he re-enters the kitchen, practically able to _feel_ her glaring at him.

By the time the soup is done and he is bringing it to her in a bowl, she is asleep, her unfinished tea on the coffee table and a tissue clutched in her hand.

After he sets the bowl down, he shakes his head at her before asking quietly, "What am I going to do with you, huh?" and reaching out to brush a loose curl from her face.

Wait. Did he _really_ just do that?

The Doctor laughs disbelievingly, "Well I guess the _real_ question is what am I going to do with myself? You're driving me bloody crazy, River," he admits out loud for the first time as he lifts her in his arms, smiling softly as she curls into him ever so slightly.

Not knowing where her room is, he wonders through her house until he finds one that just looks like _her_, grateful for his temporary lack of clumsiness as he lays her gently on the bed. After he pulls the duvet up to her shoulders, he fetches the tissues, medicine and glass of water, leaving them, as well as a note that says _Take the medicine as soon as you wake up. No arguments, Song_ , on her bedside table before quietly exiting her home.

XxX

He's fallen so very, _very_ hard. And he's not sure if he'll ever be able to get back up.

As hard as he tried to ignore it in the beginning, now it is just so obvious that it _hurts_. It's the constant tightening of his heart with every smile, every laugh and every small touch that she gives him. It's the electric heat that shoots through him when their hands touch or their shoulders brush together. It's the overwhelming happiness that floods within him when they solve a case together or when she's found a new lead, gesturing wildly as she explains, and he has to take her hands in his own to get her to just _stop_ for one second and _breathe_. It's the never-ending frustration that rolls under his bones and within his very being with every flirtatious smirk, cheeky comment and _sweetie_. It's the comfortable silence that settles between them as they do paperwork and the way they can talk about everything and nothing at once. It's the pure _longing_ that has found home in the very depths of his heart as he watches her from the break room, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she leans back against the desk and analyzes evidence, her determination to close every case, to bring closure to families who have lost those closest to them apparent in the enthusiasm she uses to throw herself into her work.

It's all of that put together that is the constant reminder that he _loves_ her- _everything_ about her. She's waltzed into his life and has completely, unknowingly, taken over, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Pining away again, Doctor?"

Amy joins to stand at his side as he continues looking out of the break room window, watching River pace back and forth in front of their desk, phone to her ear as she argues her reasoning to obtain a warrant to inspect a suspect's home.

When he doesn't answer, she speaks again, "Wish you two would just shag and get it over with before you blow up the entire precinct with all of your tension."

"Pond!" The Doctor exclaims, his tone berating and his expression offended as Amy shrugs unapologetically.

"It's _not_ like that" he hisses.

Her brow rises, "Oh? What _is_ it like, then?"

Glaring at her, the Doctor opens his mouth to speak, but then decides better of it and focuses his attention back out the window, his jaw set.

"Oh, come on," Amy prods as she bumps her shoulder against his, "Tell me."

When he narrows his eyes pointedly, she sighs, "Fine. Don't tell me. But I _know_. There's no point in denying it any longer, Doctor. You two have been working together for over six months now, and if you think you've been hiding how you feel about her, then you're _wrong_ . _Everybody_ sees it. Except perhaps River because she's so sodding stubborn. But the point is, you can't keep watching her when you think she's not looking, with that smile that makes it seem like nothing else in the universe matters, if you're not going to _do_ anything about it."

The Doctor frowns at her as she turns to leave. Amy opens the door and looks back at him, "And you know something else? She looks at you like that, too."

XxX

The Doctor is greeted with a cold burst of air as he exits the precinct. Tugging his green coat tighter around him to protect himself from the bite of snow, he hurries to his car, fumbling in his pocket for his keys. The key is just about to slide into the lock of the car door when he stops, realizing that River's car is still parked next to his.

Every night they depart with his same, "I'll see you in the morning, Song," and her reply of, "In the morning, sweetie." But tonight she had left without saying anything to him at all. He had thought it odd, but brushed it off as he opted to stay late and work. But now, looking at her car, he realizes she never left at all.

He frowns as he checks the time and finds it to be near midnight and _why_ hadn't he seen her if she was still here? Turning back to the precinct, he sees light shining from the very last window of their floor- she was in the file room, a room almost never opened because it only contained old files of both closed and cold cases, the most frequent information saved electronically.

Hurrying back through the snow, he re-enters the precinct and rides the elevator to their floor. After shrugging off his coat and throwing it over their desk, he makes his way through the back halls until he finds a dim yellow light casting out of the file room.

As he gets closer to the room he hears the shuffling of files and muttering of curses. When he rounds the corner and enters the room, he finds River standing half way up a ladder and reaching for a file, her fingers wiggling just out of reach.

"Guns? Lovely. Chasing a deranged murderer through the street? Even better. But ladders? No. Damn it. Bloody file and this bloody shelf and these _bloody shoes_." She takes a moment to kick off her red heels before continuing her quest for the file, oblivious to his presence.

River climbs a few more rungs of the ladder, becoming unsteady as she reaches up and plucks the file from the shelf with a triumphant, "Ha!" As she descends the ladder, it wobbles unsteadily and he reaches out to stable it.

She looks down at him in surprise, "Doctor?" Her foot misses the last rung and as she drops further than she was expecting, the file slipping from her hand and to the floor, she reaches out to him to stay on her feet. Placing his hands on her waist, he balances her, her hands on his shoulders, and it's not until she looks up that he realizes just how close they are.

Without backing up, she asks quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he replies, moving closer to her as if she's a magnet, closing any space left between them and unable to tear his eyes from hers.

The silk of her red blouse is cool under his fingers and he can't help but wonder what her bare skin would feel like to his touch. Her hands slide from his shoulders to his chest, setting his skin on fire and lighting his nerve endings with just that simple touch. His heart is pounding against his ribcage, and he wonders if she can feel it as his hands move from her waist to splay across the expanse of her back, only wanting her _closer._ Her fingers find their way into his hair and for just a second, his eyes flutter shut at the way her nails scratch ever so gently against his scalp.

He leans in and their lips are _so close_ when suddenly she pulls back, her hands no longer in his hair and his own hands now at his sides. His heart plummets as she scrambles to pick up the file, mumbling her thanks for catching her, when really he had done nothing, and peeling off into a ramble as she flips through the file.

"River…"

"And have you ever tried climbing a ladder in _heels_? It's not as easy as you'd think and this bloody file was so _high_ and I couldn't-"

"_River_," the Doctor says more forcefully, grabbing her hands to get her stop. When she looks up at him, her cheeks are flushed and he can't help the grin that spreads across his face. Glaring at him, she whacks him in the chest with the file, "Stop grinning at me like that."

"Not a chance. Who knew that _River Song_ is capable of blushing?" His smile grows smug as she glares at him, "I hate you."

"You don't. Now what's in the file?" The Doctor asks, snatching it from her and holding it out of her reach as she insists that it's _nothing_ and tries to get it back.

When he reads the label on the file, it suddenly feels as if his heart has come to a complete stop.

_The Silence_.

"River…" he whispers, looking at her with wide eyes.

"I'm just doing some research," River says, answering his unvoiced question and taking the file back. They leave the room and walk in silence until they get in the elevator.

"Why?" The Doctor asks as the doors slide close.

Sighing heavily, she looks at him and he's surprised her eyes filled with a sadness that he just doesn't _understand_.

"Long story short, my last partner _wasn't_ killed in a random shooting, and the 10th Precinct _didn't_ go up in flame because of a gas leak."

As soon as the elevator dings, she's out, silently telling him not to ask any more questions. The Doctor follows her out of the building and into the cold, mentally scolding himself for forgetting his coat on their desk. Right before they reach their cars, he grabs her arm to stop her, forcing her to look at him.

"Promise me this is _only_ research, River. _Promise_ me."

River hesitates before nodding, "I promise."

Letting her go, he smiles and moves to unlock his car, "I'll see you in the morning, Song."

She smiles slightly back and as he hops into the driver's seat, he almost misses her quiet reply, "Good-bye, sweetie."

XxX

As soon as the elevator doors slide open to reveal his floor, he all but flies out, looking around the room for River. Last night he had gotten very little sleep, turning her departing words over and over in his head.

_Good-bye_, _sweetie_.

To anyone else it would be a generic farewell, but to him it means something else entirely. For the past six months, their last words to each other for the night have always been a hopeful promise. _In the morning_. It's not a farewell; it is a guarantee that they _will_ see each other again.

Good-bye's signify endings. They are final and eventually become bitter, ever-present memories of loss. But of course, he could be overreacting, over-analyzing something meant to be a simple farewell for the night.

His heart sinks lower as he scans the room and doesn't see River leaning over their desk as she reads a new case file, writing new information on their board, or on the phone following up alibis- she's not there at all. Instead he finds Amy and Rory standing close together and whispering heatedly, but immediately falling silent as he approaches.

"Where's River?" the Doctor asks, gripping the two cups of coffee in his hands so tight that his knuckles turn white, and hoping that they'll tell him that she's in one of the back rooms running prints or in the break room getting coffee because she needed caffeine _right then_ and couldn't wait on him any longer.

Their looks of sympathy send his heart racing in panic as he asks again, "Where is she?"

"We figured she would have told you," Amy says quietly.

"Told me what?"

"She quit. Turned in her badge this morning and walked out."

_Good-bye, sweetie._

Maybe he hadn't been overreacting at all. She had _known_ that she wasn't going to see him today, or maybe ever again. And she didn't tell him. Well. Not directly. _Why_ had she not told him?

A sudden trickle of fear runs through him as he remembers her hesitant promise that she was only interested in _researching_ the Silence. Oh, he is so _stupid_. She's going after them.

It takes him all of two seconds to decide what he calls his 'plan of action'. Shoving the two cups of coffee into Rory's hands, he goes to leave, but is stopped by Amy grabbing hold of the back of his coat.

"Where are you going? And don't look at me like it should be obvious because it's _not_," Amy says as she crosses her arms.

"She's going after the Silence. I don't know why, but I'm going to find out and…and I'm going to help her."

"What?! _Help_ her? You need to _stop_ her."

The Doctor unclasps his badge and looks back at her, "You and I both know that won't happen, Pond."

"So you're just going to…going to _quit_ and _leave_ without knowing what you're getting yourself into?" Rory asks, his expression incredulous.

The Doctor grins suddenly, "Brilliant plan, don't you think?"

"_No_," Rory says, and Amy smacks him in the chest before turning and hugging the Doctor tightly.

"Finally going to get your woman, huh?" she asks quietly.

He beams, returning the hug, "Finally going to get my woman."

* * *

**The second(last) part is already written and will be uploaded in a few days. Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Originally I was going to update this with the last part on Thursday, but my brain has convinced me that I should make this three parts instead of two, so here, take part two.**

**Thank you all for all of the kind comments. You guys are way too nice to me.**

* * *

"Didn't think you could get rid of me _that_ easily, did you Song?" The Doctor asks as River opens her door. Surprised, she stares at him for a moment before asking, "What are you doing here, Doctor?"

Instead of answering, he sweeps past her and inside before she has the mind the close the door on him. Looking around, he notices that her house seems almost completely empty in comparison to how he saw it just last Friday, when he, Amy and Rory had come over for dinner. Boxes are stacked in the entry hall, shelves are bare and the furniture is covered in plastic sheets.

"Going somewhere, then?" he asks quietly as he turns to face her, not missing the flicker of sadness that crosses her face before she looks away.

"You promised, River."

"I know."

"Well?"

She hesitates before looking at him, "I lied."

"You can't take an entire organization down by yourself, River. It's, it's, it's _insane_. Worse, it's stupid." She visibly flinches at his words, but he continues, stepping towards her until she's backed up against her door, "You could- no, you _will_ die, River. And the worst part is that you don't even _care_. You have this thirst for revenge, that I admit I haven't _quite_ figured out, that's driving you, and you haven't taken one second to look around and see what's _right_ in front of you. You're blinded by it. To the point you haven't even taken in to account how this self-ordained mission of yours will hurt those of us that lo-," he stops, "…those of us that care about you."

By now he's so close to her that if either of them were to move an inch, they would be touching. River curls her fingers loosely around his braces, tugging lightly as she looks up at him before whispering, "Care about me, do you?"

"More than you can imagine," he admits quietly, running the back of his finger along her jaw before pushing his hand into her curls. The Doctor smiles as he watches her eyes flutter close for just second, her hands tightening around his braces, and he's pulling her closer when suddenly she sidesteps him and is walking into the kitchen.

"You don't understand, Doctor," River calls back to him, "It's so much more complicated than you realize."

His heart sinking from a second rejection, he turns and follows her, grabbing her by the arm and forcing her to look at him. "Then help me. Help me understand."

The plastic sheet covering the sofa crinkles as she sits and she takes a steadying breath before beginning, "Four years ago, when I was working down at the 10th, my partner and I were out chasing down a lead on a missing persons case when suddenly there's gunfire. All of the bullets lodged themselves into the building behind us- except one. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, his head lying in my lap as I offer false words of comfort with his blood on my hands. There was _so_ much blood, and I tried _so_ _hard_ to stop it, but I couldn't, and he was gone in less than a minute." River pauses, smiling slightly before musing, "You two would've gotten along. He had a ridiculous taste in fashion, just like you. Spiky hair, square glasses, blue suits and converses. Have to admit I liked him much better in pinstripes. But anyway," she waves her hand as if brushing away the thought before continuing, "I got taken off the case because my captain decided I was too close to it. Emotionally, you know? But the detectives who took over never found any new leads and the case went cold while the shooting was written off as a random act of violence."

"Can you believe that?" River asks softly before repeating, "_A random act of violence_."

The Doctor sits, sensing she's not done, and takes her hand in his as she continues, "After he died, I chose to work alone and threw myself into trying to prove that the shooting _wasn't random_. I started with the case we had been working on, figuring if I could solve the case, find the missing person, find the one behind it all, then I could solve his murder. Every _second_ that I wasn't spending at work, I was spending tracking down leads and questioning everything I _thought_ I knew. I spent an entire year trying to find something, _anything_, and when I finally found a strong lead and was _so close_ to finding an answer, the entire precinct burned to the ground."

River looks at him and his heart constricts at the raw emotions of pain and guilt that cross her face, "Everyone in that building died that day, Doctor. Except me. I somehow escaped with minor injuries. Most would consider it a miracle, but I live every second knowing that they didn't live to see another day because of _me_."

She pauses, looking away again, "Rose, Martha, Donna, Jack, Sarah-Jane. They were my only family, and they were always, _always_, there for me. And then, just like that, they were all gone. And it was _my_ fault. My fault Rose was taken from her husband, who actually happens to be the captain at the 9 th Precinct, maybe you know him? Tall guy, always wears a leather jacket, has kinda funny ears," she smiles sadly, completely lost in thought, "Martha taken from her fiancé, Mickey, Donna from her husband Lee and their two children, Jack from his five-year partner, and Sarah-Jane from her son, Luke."

"River. No. It wasn't your fault," the Doctor squeezes her hand and she looks at him, "Of course it is. All of my leads that didn't fall through pointed directly at the Silence, and once I was finally so close to having definitive evidence, they decided to get rid of me. For three years I pretended to be dead so they wouldn't try again, and I've spent every moment learning everything about them that I can."

The Doctor frowns, "Then why did you come back?"

River smiles bitterly, "My partner and my friends are gone, Doctor. My _family_ is _gone_. So when I go after the Silence, I want them to know that _I'm_ the one coming for them."

"Not all of your family is gone, River," he says quietly, and when he can tell she doesn't understand, he continues, "Me. I'm still here. And Amy and Rory. We're your family now."

"If you're still trying to convince me to stop, it's not going to work, sweetie."

The Doctor sighs in defeat, dragging his hands over his face, "But none of this makes any _sense_, River. The Silence heads the mafia. They're not…shooting in broad day light and destroying buildings just isn't their _style_."

"Like I said, Doctor, this is so much more complicated than you know," she pauses and stands, "Let me show you something." Leading him down the hall, she pulls open the very last door to reveal a walk-in closet. When she flips on the light switch, he gasps. Every _inch_ of the closet is covered in papers, pictures and news articles.

As he steps into the closet to look around, River leans against the doorframe and continues, "Following various leads through the mafia, I found that the Silence are the suppliers of a drug they like to call Amnesia."

"Amnesia?"

River nods, "After you're injected with just one dose, your entire memory is erased."

"But _why_?"

"Do you realize how _simple_ brainwashing would be if the brain was completely blank? There's nothing to write over, no morals to contend with or sense of right and wrong to warp. Nothing. It's a clean slate, free to be written on how anyone, in this case the Silence, pleases."

The Doctor stares at her as she steps into the closet, trying to wrap his mind around everything she's telling him. River taps her finger against a photo labeled _Graystark Hall Orphanage_ , "Mostly they take those who will be missed the least. Children from orphanages, prisoners, mental patients. The Silence erase everything these people know and basically recreate them to fit their needs, teaching and training them in accordance to their beliefs before reintegrating them into society with a new identity. Lately they've begun to take people who head major benefit charities, political leaders and those who serve in military intelligence. Targeting these people insures them money as well as an inside look at the government. After the Silence take from them what they need, they stage their deaths, so no one will think of coming to look for them, and wipe their memories just like they do to everyone else." River turns to face him, "They're building an army, Doctor. An army that does whatever the Silence wishes them too. An army of children, prisoners, mental patients, political leaders and military intelligence agents, who, when it comes right down to it, are just civilians until given that _one_ dose of Amnesia."

"Then they become the perfect weapon," the Doctor breathes in understanding.

River nods, "Exactly. So you were right, Doctor. The Silence _does_ have control over the mafia. Today. But tomorrow? It could be the entire country."

Paling slightly, he scans the papers tacked to the wall, "So what are we going to do?"

"_We_?"

The Doctor looks back at her, a sudden determination settling within him, "I'm your partner, Song. We're in this together."

XxX

"Sweetie, why are the boxes _not_ in the car?" River calls exasperatedly as she walks back inside, pressing herself against the wall as he walks past her and out the door with the last box.

"They _are_ in the car. _My_ car."

She laughs disbelievingly as she follows him back out, "We are _not_ taking your car. It's rubbish."

"No," he argues, "My _work_ car is rubbish. This car is _different_, River." She scoffs and the Doctor shoots her a glare before placing the box in the back of his car. When he turns to face her, she's staring past him with her mouth slightly open.

"_Wow_," she breathes as she steps closer to his car and he smiles smugly.

"Told you."

"Shut up."

"_Make me_."

River looks at him, smirking, before all put purring, "Maybe I will."

Thankful when she turns her attention back to his car, he swallows hard, imagining all the ways she _could_ as he runs his eyes up and down her body. He can all but _feel_ the way her nails would rake down his bare back, or how cool her lips would feel against the overheated skin of his chest, or how her breathy moans of _sweetie_ would be right in his ear as he-

"Doctor?"

He snaps his eyes back to her face, feeling the back of his neck flush as he squeaks out, "What?"

"I said it's very sexy," she repeats, arching her eyebrow as his eyes widen.

"What…what is?" He asks, tugging at the lapels of his jacket.

Her lips purse as she represses a smile, "Your car, you daft man."

"_Oh_. Right. Her name is Idris."

Smiling, River turns back to the car and repeats him, "Idris." She pauses, her smile widening, "I think I'll stick with Sexy."

"Can I have your keys?" River asks as she spins back to face him, her smile lighting up her face. Digging his keys from his pocket, he tosses them to her, and one second too late he realizes what he's done. Again.

Dangling his keys, she smiles smugly, "Every time."

"_River_," the Doctor growls, and just misses her as he lunges at her in an attempt to take his keys back. The next things he knows, he's sprinting after her as she runs back inside. He catches up to her in the middle of the hall, locking his arms around her middle and earning a laugh as she struggles against him. Forcing her against the wall, he pins the hand holding his keys above her head and presses his chest into her back.

The Doctor brushes his lips against the shell of her ear before whispering, "You are a _very_ bad girl, River Song."

"Only for you, sweetie," she breathes as he plucks the keys from her hand and steps back, smiling smugly at her.

River rolls her eyes, "I hate you."

"You don't," he tosses back confidently as he walks back outside, River following and locking the door behind her.

"So where do we start, Song?"

The map she unfolds and spreads on the nose of the car seems very old, the creases so worn that holes are beginning to form, and he imagines the reason being that River can't help but open it every day, hoping she can find something new just by looking at it, only to close it an hour later to no avail. Three red X's are marked seemingly at random across the map and he looks at her with his brow raised in question.

"The X's mark the location of the Silence's three bases. This one," she points to the north most one, "is the main base. This one," she points to one marked in the southwest, "is the second one. It's smaller than the main one, but just as heavily guarded, I'm sure. And then there's this one," she points to the last X in the east, "It isn't used at all. It's a backup base that doubles as storage space and could potentially be used as their safe house."

"So what's the plan?"

River bites her lip before looking hesitantly at him, "I don't really have a plan."

The Doctor gapes at her as she hops into the driver's seat of the car. "What do you mean you don't _really_ have a plan?! You _have_ to have a plan, River!" He exclaims as he slides into the passenger's seat. Frowning, he looks at himself, then at River, then back at himself, "Wait… River!"

With a smirk on her face, she holds her hands out for the keys, wiggling her fingers. Grudgingly, he hands her the keys and she smiles as she starts up the car, "Relax, sweetie. I do at least have an _idea_."

XxX

"Come on, River. We're going to be _late_," the Doctor says impatiently as he knocks on the door to the bathroom of the two bedroom hotel room they've been staying in for the past few days.

"Be patient, Doctor. We don't have to leave for another five minutes," River calls to him and he huffs, glaring at the door.

"Sweetie, I can _feel_ your glare through the door. Go wait outside. I'll be there in a minute, I promise."

Grumbling under his breath, he leaves the room and leans against the wall, fiddling with the cufflinks of his shirt as he waits.

Their newly formed plan is a thin one, but he's riding on the hope that it will work. They need to get into one of the bases, and to do that, they need an access card. River knows that members of the Silence never fail to make appearances at charity benefits, always on the hunt for more victims, and have their cards on them at all times. So what was their plan? To crash a benefit and steal an access card for themselves.

It's risky and there's a high danger of getting caught, but if he's honest, that's half the fun.

Just as he's glancing at his watch, the door opens and she steps out, a vision in red satin. His breath catches and the aching need to just _touch_ her grows stronger as his eyes sweep over her frame. The floor length dress hugs her body in all the right ways and is complete with a split that goes far enough up her leg to surely keep him distracted all night.

"What do you think?" River asks, turning around for him once. And _oh_, the back of the dress is cut so very, _very_ low.

Yes, he is going to _definitely_ be _very_ distracted. Distracted with thoughts of standing behind her and lightly kissing the back of her neck as he slowly slides the thin straps off her shoulders to let her dress pool around her feet, or tracing the angles of her shoulder blades with his fingertips as he brushes his lips down the column of her spine, or feeling the sharp, but delicious pain of her heels digging into him as she lies beneath him, her head thrown back and panting his name as she-

"I'll take it that I look okay, then?" She asks, snapping him from his thoughts. The Doctor flushes, realizing he's been staring this entire time. "You look _beautiful_, River," he breathes. And there it is- that soft smile she gives him that fills his heart with warmth and tells him he's done something right.

"Thank you, sweetie. You look very nice yourself," she says as she smoothes the black bow tie of his suit.

Grinning, he tugs the lapels of his suit jacket, "Why thank you, Miss Song. Shall we go?" He asks, offering her his arm.

River loops her arm through his with a smile, "We shall."

They enter the benefit as the _Mr. and Mrs._ of a false name and waste no time looking for their target.

"How can we tell a member of the Silence apart from everyone else here?" The Doctor asks, suddenly feeling discouraged as he looks at everyone dancing, mingling and drinking flutes of champagne.

They wander through the crowd until the Doctor spots a tall man in an all black suit, leaning against the wall and seemingly paying special attention to one specific person within the crowd. The Doctor nudges River and nods towards the man, "Why come to this sort of event if you're not going to drink or dance?"

River smiles, "Because that's not why you're here," she pauses, "Could it really be that simple?"

"Not simple. We still have to get the card. How do you propose we do that?"

Fluffing her curls, she smirks at him before walking over to the man. The Doctor can't help but narrow his eyes as River introduces herself and the man stands a little straighter, his attention suddenly focused on only her. He introduces himself to her in turn, taking her hand and kissing the top of it before sweeping her to the dance floor.

A possessive growl begins to build in the back of the Doctor's throat as the man pulls River close, his hands travelling lower on her back than the Doctor deems proper. He clenches his teeth together as he watches River run her hands up the man's chest in a far more intimate way than he thinks should be necessary, her hands sliding under his suit jacket before she drapes her arms over his shoulders, and that's when the Doctor sees it- a card held in between her fingers.

His jaw drops slightly, she had been able to pick the card right out of the inside pocket of the man's jacket without him even realizing it. _Probably because he was too busy staring down the neckline of her dress_, the Doctor thinks bitterly as he makes his way over to them, slipping behind the man and discreetly taking the card from River's fingers before moving away again.

Once the dance is over, River thanks the man for the dance and walks back over to the Doctor, smiling smugly. He rolls his eyes, "Don't look so bloody proud, Song. Let's go."

"Go?" she asks, looking disappointed, "I thought you loved to dance…not that you _can_," she adds, smiling cheekily.

"Oi! Rude! I'll have you know that I'm a _fantastic_ dancer."

"Prove it," River challenges, holding out her hand.

Narrowing his eyes, he takes her hand in his and walks with her to the dance floor, her small palm fitting perfectly against his as their fingers intertwine, thinking that he'd be perfectly fine with holding her hand forever. When they find an unoccupied spot on the floor, he pulls her flush against him, taking her right hand in his left and settling his other on her waist, his fingers curling into the cool satin of her dress. Without a word, River rests her head on his shoulder as they begin to sway, and he can feel her smile against his neck.

He knows he must have the most _ridiculous_ grin on his face, but he finds he doesn't care as he turns his face into her curls. She's all soft curves against his sharp angles and she smells _wonderful_, like vanilla and honey and something that is just so uniquely _River_.

"I should take my wife dancing more often," he comments quietly and she chuckles.

"I'm not your wife."

"Tell that to the man at the entrance door," the Doctor retorts.

"Only for tonight, then, sweetie," River says softly and he smiles triumphantly, the hand on her waist slipping around to rest on the small of her back as he pulls her even closer, neither of them realizing that the song has changed to something a little more upbeat and giving no attention to anything except each other.

Once the auction for the benefit begins, they slip out and go back to their hotel room. After they unlock the door and step inside, River turns to him, smiling that smile he claims as _his_, "I had fun tonight, Doctor. Turns out you can dance after all," replacing her smile with a taunting smirk.

The Doctor smiles, "I had fun, too."

Placing a hand against the side of his face, she presses a lingering kiss to his cheek that leaves his skin buzzing as she slips into her bedroom, giving him one more smile as she shuts the door behind her.

XxX

"What exactly are we looking for?" The Doctor asks as they enter the base used for storage. To his surprise, it was nothing but a large, black warehouse that sits way off the main road and is concealed by trees. No guards, only security cameras that were easy enough to hide from, and the door slides open with just a swipe of their recently acquired access card.

"C4," River answers simply as she sweeps the light of the torch around the dark room which is filled with crates ranging from the size of small box televisions to large train cars.

He gapes at her, "_C4?! _ Why do we need C4?"

River turns to him, pointing her torch in his direction so she can see him, "They used C4 to take down the 10th, so I want to use it to take down their headquarters. The crates that have it in them should be labeled." She turns back, flashing her torch at the crates as she reads the labels, but his torch is still focused on her because _honestly_, who gave her permission to wear _that_.

"Sweetie, stop staring and help me."

The Doctor sputters, "What- I- But…_River_. You can't expect me to _not_ stare with you dressed all," he gestures wildly at her black, full body outfit that is so tight it looks like it could have been _painted_ on.

Smirking, she looks back at him, "Dressed all how?"

"Dressed all," pauses, glancing around and lowering his voice to a whisper, "_sexy_."

River laughs, "Just think if I had worn the cat ears and tail and that goes with it," and she winks at him before going back to reading crates.

Huffing, he turns the light of his torch away from her, "You only wore that to distract me."

"Oh I distract you, do I?"

"Yes- I mean, _no_. I mean- I just… _anyone_ would be distracted by that outfit, River."

"Well I didn't wear it for just _anyone_, sweetie. You're special."

His eyes widen as they snap back to her, his heart rate quickening, "What are you saying? How am I special?"

"Because," she starts, looking at him as if the answer is obvious as she walks over to him, invading his personal space as she leans up to whisper in his ear, her hand resting on his chest and the wonderful scent of her shampoo invading his nostrils, "You are just _so easy_ to wind up."

The Doctor sputters as she chuckles and turns to a crate and begins to pry it open. "I am _not_ easy to wind up, Song," he denies hotly as he helps her. River laughs, "Yes you are, Doctor. And you're so _adorable_ when you blush."

He glares at her, about to retort when he glances down at the open crate and frowns, "This isn't C4."

River picks up one of the folded pieces of clothing that is in the crate, "Uniforms. This could make our job a lot simpler, actually." As she shoves a few uniforms into their large duffle bag, he moves the clothing to the side to reveal the white bricks of C4 underneath. Carefully, he hands them to her one by one as she packs them in the bag until it's full.

"This seems almost too easy," the Doctor says as they exit the base and River opens the boot of the car to put in their bag. "Well, they think they're safe, Doctor. They have no reason to come after us. Yet. So let's not-" She stops when she closes the boot and turns around to find him standing only an inch away.

Backing her against the car, he places his hands on the boot at either side of her, trapping her as their eyes lock. "You drive me bloody insane, you know that?" The Doctor asks quietly, and he swears he can see her eyes darken a shade as she swallows heavily. Her hands move up to clench around the fabric of his shirt as he presses himself against her from chest to hip. Lowering his head, he places a light, open-mouthed kiss at the crook of her neck, smiling inwardly as she gasps softly.

"And do you know what else, River?"

"What?" she asks breathily, and he feels her shiver as he brushes his lips up her neck to whisper in her ear, "Apparently I'm not the only one who's easy to wind up."

River shoves him away instantly and glares at him as he laughs, but he doesn't miss the way the corners of her mouth twitch upward as if she wants to smile.

"I hate you," she says as she walks around to the driver's side of the car.

"You don't."

XxX

It was far too late to turn back now even if he wanted to.

His heart is all but pounding out of his chest as he moves further into the base, dressed in a uniform to blend in and trying his hardest not to look suspicious. It had taken them a day to drive to the second base, and once they had their plan mapped out, they put it into action. After they were in, they split up, River taking the two upper floors of the base while he takes the two lower.

The base consists of endless corridors with iron doors that contain who knows what behind them. Everything is lit by eerie green light and guards march the halls on timed watches to insure that none of their victims escape.

The Doctor passes by the guards with a nod of his head and continues deeper within the base, strategically placing bricks of C4 where he thinks they'll be least noticed as he goes. Every brick has a set time to go off all at once, and he hopes to be long gone when that time comes.

When he's placing the last brick, the timer alerting him that he has five minutes until it goes off, a blaring alarm rings through the corridor, accompanied by an automated voice calling, "_Intruder_ _alert_," over and over. A bolt of cold fear strikes through him as he looks frantically up and down the corridor, seeing no one and concluding that River must have been discovered.

The Doctor is running towards the stairs, determined to find River, when he hears a round of gunfire being shot within the stairwell. A second later, River is there and pushing him in the opposite direction, yelling at him to run. Her hand finds his and they sprint down the corridor as the guards give chase. By the time they reach the stairs leading to the ground floor, his lungs are on fire and his heart is ready to explode, but his legs keep going, powered by fear as the fired bullets just miss them.

The exit door is visible when a sudden searing pain shoots through him, pulling him to a stop and his hand lets go of River's. His vision turns blurry and he takes an unsteady step forward before falling to the ground.

The last thing he sees is River leaning over him, her hands on either side of his face as she yells his name, then everything goes black.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Feedback is my most favorite thing ever. **


	3. Chapter 3

A groan escapes him as soon as he wakes, an intense pain shooting through his left shoulder. Rolling over, the Doctor opens his eyes blearily and sees River leaning against the door frame, worrying her bottom lip.

"Hey," she says quietly, moving to sit beside him on the bed.

He smiles, "Hey."

River runs her hand soothingly through his hair, her brow knitted in concern, "How are you feeling?"

"Bloody awful. What happened?"

"Well you got shot, passed out, and left me to take out the guards and haul your useless arse outside before everything went up. Only just made it, too." When she glares at him, he smiles, "You know you were worried. Don't even try to deny it."

"I think I like you better unconscious."

"Oi. Is that any way to treat your partner after he's been shot?" The Doctor asks, pulling himself into sitting position as he pouts at her.

Rolling her eyes, she stands up, coming to the conclusion that he's fine, "You're so dramatic. It was only a flesh wound. I stitched you up, so you'll be as good as new in a few weeks."

"_You_ stitched me up? Oh god, I'm going to die," he says, feigning horror.

"I hate you."

Before she has the chance to walk away, he grabs her hand in his and pulls her to sit back down beside him. "You can't just leave your patient in a time of need, Doctor Song." This earns him another eye roll as she looks pointedly away from him, trying to hide her smile.

The Doctor looks down at their hands as he intertwines their fingers, brushing his thumb lightly across her wrist. "Thank you," he says quietly, and when he looks up, she's watching him with that soft look that he's decided is his most favorite expression of hers.

Reaching up with his free hand, he hooks a few of her curls behind her ear, and before he can move his hand back, her lips are on his. Her hand rests on the side of his face as she leans into him and he pushes his fingers into her curls, pulling her closer as he deepens the kiss. Warmth spreads through him and builds until it feels as if there is a fire rolling beneath his bones, threatening to consume him, and _oh_, it is _so much_ better than he ever imagined. She opens her mouth as his tongue brushes across her lips, and the moment their tongues touch he feels her moan into him. It's a low sound that sends vibrations tingling through him as his heart pounds against his chest and his mind races with pure _want_. Her lips are soft and she tastes _amazing_, and he thinks that he would be more than happy with kissing her for the rest of forever.

All too soon for his liking, the overwhelming need to breathe forces them apart. He rests her forehead against hers as he catches his breath, closing his eyes as her nails scratch lightly at the nape of his neck.

"You need to rest," River says quietly. The Doctor pulls back, prepared to argue when she cuts him off with a swift kiss, "Don't argue with me Doctor, you-"

"John," the Doctor interrupts.

When she looks at him in confusion, he continues, "John. My name is John." He's never cared for his name, so he's always stuck with _the Doctor_, never telling anyone his _real_ name, but he just feels that River is _different_ and he just needs her to _know_.

Her eyes light up like he's just told her an enormous secret and she represses a smile, "Well, _John_," here his heart skips a beat and he decides he _loves_ how his name rolls off her tongue, briefly wondering _why_ he had waited this long to tell her, "you _do_ need rest." River gives him another quick kiss and stands before continuing, "I'll wake you in a few hours to change your bandage, okay?" And with that she's gone into the other room, leaving him with a ridiculous grin on his face that just can't seem to go away as he settles down into the pillows.

XxX

The Doctor startles awake, his eyes flying open as he bolts into sitting position. His heart rate slowly returns to normal as he briefly replays the nightmare that had caused him to wake- River had left, off to take down the Silence's main headquarters. Alone. And she hadn't made it out.

Shaking away thoughts of the dream, his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room as he glances to the corner where he can just make out the large chair that sits there, and he frowns when he sees it empty. For the past week he's been waking every morning to find River curled in the chair and still asleep. He doesn't ask her why, though once he did wake her up with a very loud 'Rise and shine, Song' which had earned him a pen thrown at his head and a glare because she is _not_ a morning person.

Thinking that maybe she's decided to sleep in her own room tonight, he stumbles out of bed and quietly opens her door. When he sees her bed is empty, his grip tightens on the door handle and his dream flashes through his mind.

"River?" The Doctor calls hoarsely, looking around her room briefly to make sure she really isn't there before barging into the bathroom, panic beginning to form a knot in his chest.

But there she is, sitting in the bath with her hair piled on top of her head and very, _very_ naked, but covered by bubbles, her red-painted toes poking out at the end of the tub.

"Doctor?" River asks in surprise, only very rarely using his real name.

He immediately slaps his hand over his eyes and begins to back up as he sputters, "Sorry- I was just- I thought you had- But obviously not because you're _here_ and very _naked_ and I'll just be, um, going." Planning to leave, he spins around, but runs into the doorframe and stumbles back before tripping on the bathmat that sends him to the floor, whacking his head on the sink counter as he goes.

Groaning, he rolls onto his back and puts his hand to his now throbbing forehead. When he opens his eyes, he sees River looking at him with a mixture of concern and amusement, resting her chin on her arms that are now folded on the side of the tub.

"You okay?" From her tone and small smirk, he concludes that she's _definitely_ more amused than anything else.

"I'm _fine_," the Doctor answers, removing his hand and glowering at her. River frowns slightly and she reaches out to lightly run her thumb over his brow.

"You're cut," she says softly, "Get me a towel?"

The Doctor stands and pointedly avoids looking at her as he pulls a towel from the rack. Closing his eyes, he turns toward her and holds the towel out, stretching it widthwise between his hands. It takes all of his resolve _not_ to look when he hears the water move as she stands up and steps out of the tub.

His breath catches as he feels her step into him, pressing into the towel and against his chest. Without his consent, his arms slip around her waist as if it's the most natural thing to do, wrapping the towel around her body as her wet hands slide slowly up the sides of his face and into his hair to pull his face level to hers.

When he feels her lips brush over the barely-there cut on his forehead, his eyes flutter open. River presses a soft kiss to his brow and slides her hands from his hair to his bare chest, scratching softly at the light dusting of hair there.

"There. All better?" She asks, smiling softly at him. Her eyes are warm and he thinks they're the greenest he's ever seen them as he locks his eyes with hers and answers, "Not nearly," before hauling her into a kiss.

The pace of the kiss begins slowly, but soon turns to one of clashing teeth and battling tongues as her arms slip over his shoulders and his hands move to her hair, allowing the towel to fall open at the sides and expose her back. His fingers pull at the elastic band in her hair until it comes free, her curls tumbling down to frame her face and just _begging_ to be touched. Delving hands into her hair, he kisses her until his lungs burn and he is forced to pull back for air.

The Doctor rests his forehead against hers and whispers, "I love you."

He hadn't really meant to say it, it just sort of slipped out, caught up in the moment. But it _is_ true, he _does_ love her- he has ever since that elevator door opened and he saw her writing on his board, and despite his best efforts to stop it at the beginning, it's a love the grows stronger with every passing day.

River tenses and suddenly he just feels so bloody _stupid_, realizing that he may have just ruined everything.

"I shouldn't have-" he begins, but is cut off by her harsh kiss.

"Shut up. I love you, too, you daft man."

River smiles warmly, running her fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck and he beams at her. The kisses that follow are comprised of soft pecks and gentle nips at lips. The aching need to just touch her anywhere and everwhere he can reach her builds within him as he brushes his lips along her jaw and down her neck. As he licks and nips at the skin of her throat, River gasps and presses further into him. One hand roams down her back, his fingertips running over the bumps of her spine as his other hand grips around the fabric of the towel and pulls it from between them, leaving her as nothing but glorious skin against him.

His gaze darkens as it travels over the curves of her body and he marvels at how his hands fit perfectly into the dip of her tiny waist, as if they were made just for that purpose.

"You're _beautiful_, River," he breathes out as his fingers skim up her sides, thumbs brushing outward under her breasts and across her ribs. When his gaze meets hers, he sees the lust that is burning through his bones reflected in her eyes.

"And _you_ are wearing far too much clothing, my love," she says, her fingers dancing around the elastic band of the night shorts he's wearing. His heart trips at her new term of endearment, and just as he's about to say something back, she slides her hand beneath the waistband, her fingers wrapping around his length, and his words catch in his throat as a groan escapes him.

The Doctor captures her lips with his and kisses her sloppily, her fingers cool against his hot skin, and when her thumb swipes gently across the tip, he bucks his hips involuntarily forward and groans into her mouth.

"River," he growls out, his voice low with want as she pumps his length. He grabs her wrist to stop her, just needing _more_, and taking the hint she pulls her hand out and shoves down his shorts.

Watching her, he steps out of them and notices as her gaze sweeps over him, her eyes darkening a shade, and then their lips are locked again in a frantic kiss as flesh is pressed against flesh and hands roam everywhere they can possibly reach. The Doctor pulls his lips from hers to lift her onto the counter. His tongue travels under one of her breasts and up to her nipple, swirling it around the dusky peak before biting it gently and earning a gasp. He smirks against her skin and does the same to the other before littering brief kisses down the middle of her chest and to her stomach.

Her muscles quiver slightly under her skin at every kiss and he smiles, finding that he wants to spend every waking moment mapping her with his fingertips and tracing her with his lips until he has every inch of her committed to memory.

The Doctor runs his hands up the insides of her thighs and spreads her legs. Her musky scent invades his nostrils as he leans down, and it takes all of his willpower not to take her right that second. The soft skin of her inner thigh calls to him and he obliges, biting down harder than necessary. River's small whimper sends heat straight to his groin as he salves the spot with gentle licks.

"I _swear_, if you don't _stop_ teasing me…" River breathes out.

The Doctor chuckles against her skin and smiles at the red mark he's left on her thigh, "Patience is a virtue, River."

"I hate you."

"You don't," he says as he presses a kiss to the skin of her lower abdomen and she whines. A mischievous smile plays across his lips as he looks up at her, and she narrows her eyes at him when she realizes what he wants.

"No," she refuses.

Shrugging, he pushes her legs further apart and runs his tongue painfully slow along the crease of her thigh, so close, but so very far away from the place she wants it most.

"Oh, I hate you," she repeats with a gasp, before giving in to what he wants. "Please," River pants, locking eyes with him, "_Please_."

The Doctor smirks up at her and hums in approval before spreading her folds with his fingers, flattening his tongue against her center and licking slowly upward, delighting in her sharp, electric taste that bursts across his tongue.

"You smug bas-" River starts, but the last word is lost halfway through as she moans, throwing her head back against the mirror and burying her fingers into his hair as he sucks at her clit.

"_Yes_," she gasps out, lifting her hips upward and tugging on his hair. To keep her from moving, he presses down on her abdomen with his forearm, moving his tongue to tease at her entrance, only penetrating enough to make her want more.

"Need you _now_," River says, and she pulls him up by his hair and kisses him with a heated passion as she slides off the countertop, moaning as she tastes herself on his tongue. Placing her hands on his chest, she backs him into his room and he falls back onto the bed once his knees hit the edge.

The Doctor backs up on the mattress and he can't help but stare as she slinks up after him, her fingers lightly running up the tops of his thighs and across his chest. With her knees at either side of his hips, he pulls her down to kiss her fiercely, releasing a strangled groan as she begins to grind against him, her slick heat sliding over his erection. Dragging his bottom lip between her teeth, River breaks the kiss and moves to hover above him. Anticipation buzzes under his skin as she lines him to her entrance, and he hisses as she sinks down and suddenly he's sheathed within her. The silky heat of her is almost too much and as she stills he thinks that he wants to imprint the image of her straddled atop him, golden skin flushed, red lips swollen and hair wilder than he's ever seen it, into his mind forever.

Her small hands brace firmly over his chest and then she's moving and _oh_.

"You are so bloody gorgeous," the Doctor rasps out as she rises and lowers rhythmically over him, her breasts bouncing with each movement.

River only moans in response as his hands grip her hips so hard that he's positive there will be bruises there in the morning, and he briefly thinks that he would like that- _how possessive_.

Gripping her even tighter, he rolls them so he's on top, pressing River into the mattress, and he smiles at how his hips slot perfectly between hers. Her moans build in volume as he pounds without rhythm into her, the sound of skin meeting skin filling the room as she meets him thrust for thrust.

Changing angles, he pulls one of her legs around his waist and she cries out, her moans turning into nothing short of shrieks as he plunges deeper into her. Her hands fly to grip the bars of the headboard behind her as she squeezes her eyes shut, and he swears as her walls begin to pulse around him. There's a tightening in his groin and he can feel he's close as he leans in closer, resting his elbows on either side of her head and shifting his weight there.

"Look at me," he demands softly, "You're going to be _glorious_, and I want to _see_ it." Her eyes fly open to meet his and he presses a harsh kiss to her lips before sliding a hand between their sweat-slicked bodies and rubbing at her clit in time with his thrusts.

That's all it takes to send her over the edge. River cries out his name and her body arches into his as she shudders, her hands moving to rake her fingernails down his back, leaving a delicious stinging pain that feels like a slow trickle of fire. The edges of his vision darkens as his own orgasm washes over him, and her name is torn from his throat as blinding lights burst across his vision.

As their breathing returns to normal, the Doctor frames her face with his hands and kisses her softly before pulling out and moving to lie beside her. River curls into him, tucking her head under his chin and resting a hand on his chest. With sweat cooling on their still over-heated skin, he wraps his arms around her and together they fall asleep without a word.

XxX

"Can I look now?" River asks, reaching for her blindfold as the Doctor swings open the passenger door.

"_No_. Stop," he says, batting her hands from the blindfold before she has a chance to pull it down.

"At least just _tell_ me where we are," she huffs and he only laughs, taking her hands and helping her out of the car.

"Please?" She tries and he rolls his eyes, "You'll find out soon enough." With his arm around her waist, he leads her up the stairs and into the building. They're greeted with the smell of food, the clinking of silverware and the low hum people talking. It's nothing blindfold-worthy, really, but he's wanted to surprise her with their first official date, so of course the blindfold is necessary. Not to mention he is _positive_ it will be fun to have around for later.

River smiles, turning her head as if she can actually see, "A restaurant? Good. I'm _starving_."

"River. _Stop_ guessing. You're ruining everything." Looking in his general direction, her smile widens, "I didn't _guess_, sweetie. You had 'Restaurant reservation: 7:00' written down beside the bed."

"_River_! That is _cheating_! It was supposed to be a surprise," he pouts.

"It's the thought that counts, my love. Can I take off this ridiculous blindfold, now?" She asks, once again reaching for it.

"Nope," the Doctor replies, again taking her hands and leading her through the restaurant as the maitre d' shows them to their table. He's reserved a table on the patio, and as they step outside into the warm evening air, he smiles. The setting is perfect. Lights are strung above them and candles are set on the tables to provide a perfect glow as the colors of the sky settle in between the bold orange of sunset and the soft purple of dusk.

"_Now_ you can look," the Doctor says quietly, stepping behind her and untying the blindfold.

"_Oh_," River breathes as she looks up at the sky, "It's _beautiful_ out here."

He beams proudly, "Happy first-date, River."

Her eyes soften as she looks at him, and then she's grabbing the lapels of his jacket and is pulling him into a kiss.

"I love you," she says when she pulls back, lightly brushing her thumb over the corner of his mouth where her lipstick smudged. Running his fingers lightly down her sides to rest on her hips, he leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead, "I love you, too, River."

The evening passes in a blur, neither giving a thought to the daunting task that awaits them in the morning, and in no time at all night descends and the sky is inked black. In the distance, thunder rumbles and lighting flashes, and he's fairly sure River makes some comment about how they should leave before the storm arrives, but he's only half listening as he pushes back his chair and stands.

Grinning, the Doctor bows and holds out his hand, "May I have this dance?"

Her eyebrow arches and she glances at the people around them before looking at him as if he's gone mad, "There's no music," she points out.

He shrugs, "Don't need music."

"You're ridiculous," River mutters as she sets down her glass of wine and places her hand in his. Pulling her to her feet, he sweeps her to the middle of the patio just as a gentle rain begins. His face turns into her curls as she rests her head on his shoulder, and he thinks that he'd like this night to last forever.

"Nothing lasts forever, my love, "River says quietly and he frowns as he realizes he must have said it out loud. The thought makes his heart ache because some things _are_ worth lasting forever. He wants _them_ to last forever.

The rain gradually begins to fall faster and there's a moment of silence before he whispers, "Marry me."

River stares up at him, "What?"

"Marry me. Let me show you that some things _can_ last forever." This wasn't something he had planned at all, but the more he thinks about it, the more he wants it. He wants to slide a gold band onto her finger and claim her as _his_. He wants to wake her every morning only to earn a pen thrown at his head, and go to sleep every night with her in his arms. And as ridiculous as it might sound, he just wants to be with her _forever_.

The rain beats down harder, drenching them as River places her hands on either side of his face and kisses him soundly. His hands bury into her hair and her wet curls immediately tangle around his fingers as he kisses her back with all he has. Everything about the moment just seems so cliché, but as he pulls her closer, his clothes sticking to his skin from the rain, he thinks he wouldn't want it any other way.

River pulls back and he rests his forehead against hers as she finally whispers her answer, "Yes."

The Doctor laughs happily, knowing that he must be all but glowing, "Well I rather figured that."

Her smile is every bit as bright as his as she retorts, "Shut up," before kissing him once more, wrapping her arms over his shoulders and pressing into him as his arms tighten around her waist, both forgetting about anything but each other as they completely lose themselves in the moment.

XxX

"Pumpkin? Love muffin? Honey bear?"

"I hate you so much right now," River says and he grins, ignoring the shiver that is sent through him at the feel of the cold metal from the gun as he straps it to his back.

"Well you have a nickname for me, River. It's not _fair_ if I don't have one for you," the Doctor argues as River bends to lace the straps of her boots.

"Oh wait, I know just the one," he says, grabbing his duffle bag packed with white bricks of C4 before turning to her and exclaiming dramatically, "_Mi amore_!"

Glaring at him, River shoves him out of the way and grabs her own bag, "If you _ever_ call me any of those, I _swear_ you will sleep on the couch for a month."

The Doctor chuckles and raises his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay. Point taken."

They turn to face the headquarters and he doesn't miss the deep sadness that casts a shadow over her face. This isn't about revenge for her anymore, it's about stopping a linchpin that has the potential to throw the entire country into destruction.

The Doctor takes her hand in his and squeezes reassuringly. "It's about the lives that will be saved, dear," he says softly, sensing the heavy weight that is beginning to settle on her shoulders at the thought of all the deaths that will be caused by _them_ if everything goes to plan.

She nods and smiles slightly at the term of endearment he's given her, "I like that one."

"Thought you might," he says, and he leans in to give her a kiss before they separate and enter the main headquarters. They've allotted themselves a mere forty-five minutes to get in, do their job, and get out. The map of the base is seared into his memory and he quickly goes over it before swiping his access the card and entering, nodding at the two guards who stand watch at the door.

They call it Demon's Run, and for good reason, the Doctor thinks as he makes his way through a long, dank corridor and into the first underground level. Everything is silent and the further he goes, setting the C4 where planned and clicking on the timers, the more on edge he gets. Apart from the two guards he passed at the entrance, there is _no one_ else around.

The Doctor enters the third, and final level and freezes in his spot. Oh. _That's_ why he hasn't seen anyone else. They were all crowded _here_, in what looks to be an underground air hangar, and facing a stage where a tall man with broad shoulders and a patch signifying his status as Colonel sewn to his uniform is addressing them.

"This country's government is weak- its people even more so. But we're sure as hell going to fix that." His voice is strong and reaches out to everyone, pulling them in as if they're being hypnotized. The Doctor moves to blend in with crowd, his eyes locked on the woman standing beside the talking man. Her stance is rigid and a small smirk tugs at the corner of her thin lips as she surveys the crowd with one eye, the other covered with a strangely shaped eye patch.

"Beginning tomorrow, this country _will_ fall. Then it will rise, born again under a new rule. We will-" Whatever he says next is drowned out by the blaring alarm that the Doctor recognizes even before the words "_Intruder Alert_" ring out.

"_River_," the Doctor growls under his breath, just barely managing to resist from rolling his eyes. Couldn't she stay _out_ of trouble for just one second?

He's just deciding to stay put, figuring that River is only sending a few guards on a wild chase, when suddenly the alarm stops. His heart immediately drops and he watches as a wicked smile plays over the eye patch woman's face. She excuses herself from the stage as the man continues talking and exits through a side door as the Doctor backs out of the crowd and leaves through the door he entered, pausing only long enough to set his last brick of C4.

Knowing River will be somewhere on one of the upper floors, he sprints up the stairs and runs down seemingly endless hallways until he turns a corner and sees light spilling out from one of the rooms that line the corridor. He slowly walks down the dimly lit hall and stands right outside the door, listening.

"River Song. We meet at last. You just _love_ causing all sorts of trouble for me, don't you?" The Doctor peeks around the frame of the door to see the backs of the eye patch woman and a guard facing him, and River secured to a chair in the center of the blindingly white room.

"Any trouble you have is only brought on by yourself, Kovarian," River all but spits.

"That's _Madame_ Kovarian. Not that it really matters; you'll be dead in a few short minutes. By the explosives _you_ set. And _I_, along with everyone else here, with be long gone. You should feel _very_ accomplished." Kovarian chuckles and continues, "But until then, I'd like to show you something." She holds out her hand and the guard places a small syringe filled with a clear liquid into her palm. Holding it in front of River's face, she asks, "Do you know what this is?"

River looks pointedly away, her jaw set, and Kovarian chuckles again, "Oh give me a _break_ from this whole self-righteous act. _Humor_ me. _Impress_ me with everything you know. Now I'll ask again. _Do you know what this is_?"

"Amnesia," River answers after a moment.

"That's right. And _what_ does it _do_?"

"Wipes the mind completely clean, just as the name suggests."

"Very good. Now take a moment to think over what this is going to do to _you_. After you're given this, you'll forget everything in just a few short moments. You won't have a clue where you are, or why you're restrained. Panic will rise and pure _fear_ will take over. And that will be the _last_ thing you feel before you die. I'm actually quite disappointed I won't be around to watch," Kovarian finishes casually.

Placing the syringe back in the guard's hand, she demands, "Take care of it." The Doctor quickly backs into the shadows as the guard salutes her and she exits the room. Once she's out of sight, the Doctor rushes in to find the guard just about to insert the needle of the syringe into River's arm as she struggles the best she can.

Without thinking, the Doctor pulls the gun from his back and whacks the guard in the back of the head with the end of it, sending him straight to the ground.

"_John_," River breathes and he smiles at her. "Have I earned the title of Knight in Shining Armor?" She rolls her eyes, "Just get me out of here."

Smashing the syringe under his boot, the Doctor picks up a piece of the glass and begins working on the lock that holds her binds together. "How much longer do we have?"

The lock clicks open and she answers, "About ten minutes," rubbing at her wrists. He grabs her hand and pulls her out the door, but she digs her heels into the floor and pulls them to a stop.

"We can't just _leave_, Doctor. We have to stop her- _them_," River says and he looks at her as if she's gone mad as she continues, "I called Amy and Rory for back up before we came. Just in case. They should be here by now; they can help."

"River we only have _ten_ minutes."

"That's more than enough time, my love. I'll go ahead and start looking for Kovarian, and you go get Amy and Rory. And no matter what happens, we all meet outside in eight minutes, okay?"

Going against what his head is screaming for him to do, he nods and pulls her into a quick kiss. "I love you, River."

"I love you, too, sweetie." And with that, she's gone, sprinting down the corridor in the same direction Kovarian went just minutes ago.

Wasting no time, he runs in the opposite direction and descends the stairs before bursting outside. In the distance he can make out Rory's tall frame, accompanied by Amy's flaming red hair. By the time he reaches them, the muscles in his legs are burning from running and his lungs are begging for air.

"What's going on?" Amy immediately asks and he waves away the question as he briefly catches his breath. "I'll explain on the way. Come on."

Just as he turns around, there is a disturbance in the air, a shift in everything around them, and a wave of energy has them flying to the ground as the headquarters seemingly implodes from the inside out. His ears ring and his vision is blurred as he looks up and sees the building aflame as it crashes to the ground, casting the night sky into an orange glow and filling the air with smoke.

For a moment he is still as he stares in disbelief, then he's on his feet and rushing toward the building as he yells River's name. Rory catches up to him and holds him back as Amy yells something along the lines of "_It's too late_."

The Doctor slumps to ground, suddenly feeling numb and unable to do much more than stare as the fire roars and the smell of burned flesh and _death_ fills the air around them.

XxX

It takes Amy two weeks to convince him to return to work. She told him that it would be good for him, told him that it would make the perfect distraction from thinking about the one thing, the one _person_, that his mind can't seem to get off of. At first he hadn't wanted a distraction, afraid that _not_ thinking about her would cause him to forget, that the memories would fade and he would be left with only the heart-wrenching tug of bitter loss. But it wasn't long before he realized that the thoughts only deepened the unmendable crack in what was left of his broken heart.

The elevator ride to his floor in the precinct seems much longer than normal as he watches the numbers slowly click higher, his fingers tightly gripping the two cups of coffee in his hands. The Doctor looks sadly at the second cup, unable to explain why he bought it and only knowing that ordering just one cup would've added to the ever-present aching throb in his chest.

Once help had arrived, they had gotten the fire under control and out as fast as they could, and once it was safe enough to walk through the rubble, he spent hours searching through ash and under the remains of the building- he couldn't imagine just leaving her body there, but once the first light of dawn began to paint its way across the sky, Amy and Rory insisted that it was an impossible mission, that there probably wasn't a body to find, and convinced him to return home. But home doesn't feel like home anymore. A riot of golden curls and intense green eyes greets him in his sleep, but he wakes to a cold, empty side of the bed and he feels like all of it is sending him spiraling into a hole that, after a while, he will not be able to climb out of. So here he is on a Monday morning, stepping off the elevator and onto his floor, taking Amy's advice and hoping that maybe the pain will lessen with each passing day.

The Doctor avoids eye-contact as he makes his way to his desk, having no desire to see the looks of sympathy, or worse, _pity_ that he will undoubtedly get from his coworkers. His heart falls further in his chest at the sight of the clean whiteboard, no jacket hanging over the back of his chair and no heels kicked off under the desk. As he places one cup of coffee where River would normally sit, he suddenly thinks that returning to work may only make things worse.

"_Two_ coffees?" Amy asks as she approaches him with a file in her hand, "You must be really tired."

"The second one isn't for me," the Doctor states with a blank face as he leans against the edge of his desk.

"Oh?" Amy questions, raising her eyebrows, "Well then whose is it?"

He looks away, ignoring her question, knowing that she'd think him ridiculous if he told her the truth.

Amy's shoulders droop in realization, "Doctor, you can't do this to yourself. You have to let her go. River wouldn't want-" He cuts her off, stiffening at her words, "Don't. Don't tell me to let her go, to just forget about her as if she was some girl I barely knew." His tone is harsh and he knows it, but he continues anyway, using unnecessary anger as an outlet for his pain, "And don't tell me what River would or wouldn't want. It doesn't matter anymore. She's not here. She's _gone_." The Doctor slumps back against the desk, staring at nothing and lost in thought before whispering, "I was going to marry her."

Amy regards him with silence and that look of pity that he was trying so hard to avoid, then pulls him into an embrace that is supposed to be comforting but instead breaks another string inside of him that is meant for keeping him together. Tears blur his vision as he accepts her hug and he barely registers her telling him that it's going be okay. The Doctor closes his eyes, wondering how she can say that anything will be okay ever again.

Amy pulls away and places the file gently in his hand, "Your next case."

As she walks away, he sits down and skims over the file before looking at River's empty chair and asking, "So, dear, where should we start?"

XxX

The rain beats relentlessly against the window as the Doctor moves around his kitchen table, setting out four plates and the respective silverware. Three weeks later and it's his turn to host their routine dinner. He smiles sadly as he runs his finger around the edge of the fourth plate. It had been a collective decision to set a plate for River as if she were actually there and it makes him think of the first time she ever attended one of their dinners. Flashes of thin blue cotton, a bright smile and the memory of the special warmth that fills the soul when around loved ones flicks through his memory.

The pain that has been permanently residing in his chest has lost its sharp edge and he wonders if it will ever completely go away- if he'll ever be able to look at a pair of red heels, a paper coffee cup or his own car keys without being overwhelmed with a flood of unwanted emotion. Lately his sadness has transformed into an unexplainable anger that builds within him when he's alone. It wasn't _fair_. There's that saying that it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, but he thinks that whoever came up with that must have never really known what real love is.

Before River walked into his life and rearranged everything, he had thought that he had everything he wanted. He had a good house, an excellent job and the best friends one could ever ask for. But something had been missing, and now that it's gone, now that _she's_ gone, he's not sure if he'll ever be able to get back to where he once was.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he moves into the living room to flick mindlessly through channels on the television while he waits on Amy and Rory. His heart gets caught in his throat as he changes the channel and is suddenly staring into the face of the eye patch woman. The screen is split in two, the news anchor on one side and Kovarian's picture taking up the other. The Doctor doesn't take in what the anchor is saying, his heart pounding in his ears as he reads the caption scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

Before it had been assumed that she had died with everyone else when the main headquarters went up, but now she's been found dead near the country's border. The Doctor stares at the television screen as he processes the information- Kovarian had made it out of the building alive. She had been running away from something or some_one_ when she was murdered. That someone could be River. River could be alive.

_River could be alive_.

Time seems to slow as his mind reels, but he's jerked from his thoughts by a knock at the door. Suddenly remembering that he's expecting Amy and Rory, he hoists himself off the couch and swings open the door.

He's greeted with the chill of late fall, the sound of pounding rain and the back of a woman with wet curly hair. She turns around to face him and he has to grip the doorframe to stay standing.

"Hello sweetie," River whispers, and he's only able to stare at her, wondering if he's finally lost it and she's just a hallucination, a figment of his imagination.

The Doctor breathes out her name, his voice heavy with pain and confusion as she gently cups the side of his face with her cold hand and whispers an apology. Reaching up, he covers her hand with his own, his fingers curling around hers as tears obscure his vision.

"Are you really here?" He asks quietly, his free hand reaching up to sweep a wet curl behind her ear. River smiles softly, and _oh_ how he's missed that smile, and nods. The shine of tears in her eyes matches his own, and she's half way through another apology before he envelops her in his arms and pulls her flush against him. Her wet clothes soak into his but he doesn't _care_, barely able to believe that he has her in his arms.

"I thought you were dead," the Doctor whispers, turning his face into her curls.

"I'm so sorry, my love. I couldn't-" He cuts her off with a harsh kiss, his hands moving to cup her face. The kiss is deliberately slow, their lips moving together with a certain passion that makes it feel as if they have all the time in the world. Her arms wrap tightly around his neck and he thinks that if they were to get any closer they'd be crawling under skin to settle beneath bones- and even that may not be close enough. The Doctor can taste the salt of their tears mingling together as he kisses her, but beneath that is the indescribable taste of pure _love_.

The need to breathe overwhelms him and forces them apart. His hands roam up her arms, over her shoulders, across her back and just_anywhere_ he can reach, wishing he could touch her everywhere at once just to reassure himself that she's _there_, that she's _alive_, as he rests her forehead against hers.

"I love you," River whispers and he smiles softly.

"I love you, too, dear," the Doctor answers and she gives a watery laugh before kissing him again. Without parting their lips, the Doctor pulls her inside and closes the door after them. In a few short moments Amy and Rory will arrive, the fourth seat at the dinner table will be filled and his small family, _their_ small family, will be complete once again- this time forever.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading, and you've stuck with me to the end of this just let me love you okay. Feedback is forever appreciated and keeps me smiling like an idiot all day.**


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